


Nowhere to Run to

by Aladin_Sane



Category: Baby Driver (2017)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12059835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aladin_Sane/pseuds/Aladin_Sane
Summary: Baby manages to get Buddy and Darling away from the botched post office job alive.They return the favor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lying Low In Vancouver](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11644683) by [nihilegi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nihilegi/pseuds/nihilegi). 



> I looked through all the fics I'm supposed to be writing and then went "Wow, that's cool. Time to start a new one."

Baby got the car started with his screwdriver and steered towards the parking lot exit. Sure, maybe he wasn’t on the top of his game, but he was still a good driver. Or so he thought. His entire self worth came into question when he rammed into the back corner of a truck and his engine cut out. 

Buddy and Darling glaring at him from the other vehicle was the last thing he had expected. 

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Darling screamed.

“Baby, you’re fucking jinxed!” Buddy added. 

Yikes. Those two had always been the first to defend him when other crew members spoke to him like that. He wasn’t claiming he didn’t deserve it. It was just hard to have two of the five people who were nice to him hate him. 

Darling was throwing their money in the back of the car and heading towards the passenger seat. “You’re getting us out of here. This is your mess, Baby. Your fault,” she growled.

Baby nodded absently as he focused on restarting the vehicle. Buddy helped Darling shoot back the police before sliding into the back seat. As soon as the engine roared to life, both their guns were trained on his head. 

“No funny business this time,” Buddy said. 

“I wasn’t, I just wanted to kill Bats. Not you,” Baby explained. 

He took a sharp left. Darling hit the window. Buddy hit the back of his head with the barrel of his gun. 

“Hey, kid, that’s my fucking wife,” he said. 

“Right, right. Sorry.” Baby did his best to keep the ride smooth from there on out. He didn’t pull any tricks for show, didn’t go faster than necessary just to watch the cars blur as he sped fast. For the first time, probably ever, he drove as safely as he could. 

“What’s the plan?” Darling asked

“Doc’ll come up with something,” Baby replied. 

She glared at him but didn’t argue as he pulled into a parking ramp. He parked the car and the three of them got out. Buddy and Darling didn’t bother him as he wove through the different vehicles, heading directly towards a telephone booth. It was probably the last in the city, and Baby was probably the only one keeping it alive. The two criminals stood on the outside, guns ready, as he dropped in his quarters. 

“This line’s dead,” said the monotone voice on the other end of the line. 

“Doc, it’s Baby,” he said. 

“Like I said, this line’s dead.” 

“Listen, alright? I, I fucked up. Real bad. But it’s still me. I need your help. Buddy and Darling do too.”

“You three can rot in jail for all I care, at this point.” 

“Doc, if not me, then help them. They didn’t do this.”

There was a long silence from the phone. Baby squeezed his eyes shut, as if that would somehow brace him for what Doc had to say. 

“You’ve always been too nice for your own good, Baby. Fine. Be here in the next ten minutes. And bring the money orders.” 

The dial tone sounded like angels singing. Baby burst out of the phone booth, screwdriver in hand. His eyes roamed quickly over the lot before he decided on a classic minivan that already had the driver side window rolled down a bit. 

“Doc says he’ll help. We gotta book it,” he explained, already jogging towards the vehicle. 

Before Baby could even try reaching in to unlock the car, Buddy broke the window with his elbow. Shattered glass sprinkled over Baby’s hand as he got into the car. He made a point of not looking at Buddy. The look on the other man’s face was terrifying, and made him fully understand what Darling had been talking about in the diner. 

They were in Doc’s safe house 1 minute and 28 seconds earlier than they were instructed to be. The swing in Darling’s hips as she walked in front of Baby matched the slow beat to “House of the Rising Sun.” 

His eyes settled on Doc’s disappointed face as the singer drawled on. 

It’s been the ruin of many a poor boy.

“Sit down, Baby,” Doc said, gesturing to a chair. 

And God, I know I’m one.

Something about the way Baby gulped put Buddy on edge. This was wrong. This wasn’t what Baby had been expecting. Doc spun the chair harshly so that Baby was facing him, his back to Buddy and Darling. Baby flinched hard, Buddy’s hand automatically landed on his gun. 

Doc took off Baby’s sunglasses tenderly, folded them, and put them in Baby’s breast pocket. Carefully, he plucked out Baby’s earbuds and tucked them in his pocket. He smiled, almost fondly, before smacking the stolen baseball hat off of Baby’s head. 

“So. Let’s recap.” 

He started to stalk back and forth in front of Baby. The ruler in his hand smacked against his opposing palm almost rhythmically. Right with the beat of Baby’s song. 

Oh, mothers, tell your children,

“My Baby breaks protocol.”

Not to do what I have done.

“My Baby kills a man on the job.”

Spend your lives in sin and misery

Baby gulped. 

“And then asks me for help?”

In the house of the rising sun.

“That doesn’t sound very smart. Does it, Baby?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Baby sputtered frantically, his eyes glued to Doc’s face. 

Doc clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You skewered Bats like a fried tomato at a barbeque and you’re telling me that you never meant to hurt anybody?” He paused in front of Baby, towering over him. “That’s just stupid, kid.” 

“Wait -” 

Baby was too late. Doc wound up like a baseball star. The ruler came towards Baby’s face like a crack of lightning. Buddy moved before he could think. His hand caught the other end of the ruler, barely an inch from Baby’s cheek. It stung, but it still felt better than getting hit in the face. And Baby was actually sitting on his hands, completely unwilling to put out any effort to save himself. 

Doc stared at Buddy, partially impressed but mostly furious. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” Buddy said. His other hand pulled his gun out and shot each of Doc’s thighs. Baby fell out of the chair, crumpled on the ground and clutching his ears. Doc fell beside him. This was bad. This was so bad. 

“Buddy, what the fuck?” Darling asked as she drew her gun and ran over.

“I don’t know!” he repeated more animatedly. 

“Baby? Baby, we’ve gotta go. C’mon.” She hauled him to his feet and threw his arm over her shoulder so she could support him. He blinked as if he was waking up first thing in the morning. His hand flew to his pocket automatically, digging around for his earbuds. 

“If you walk out that door, all three of you are dead. Do you understand? The cops will be the least of your worries,” Doc said. Baby’s eyes widened at his threat. So far today he was down 3 out of 5 friends. Well, Buddy was getting kinda iffy. 2 and a half. Doc grinned up at Baby. “Listen to me kid, if you leave now I’m gonna cut off your feet, grill them up, and have you eat them.” 

Darling grabbed Baby’s shirt and pulled him towards the door. At first Baby resisted. Eating his own feet sounded not only disgusting, but malnutritious and emotionally damaging. Buddy gave him a shove towards the door too. The red mark on the palm of Buddy’s hand was so vivid that Baby’s heart stopped for a second. Staying seemed pretty malnutritious and emotionally damaging too. 

He shoved his earbuds back in and started walking with Darling and Buddy. As they left, he spared one last glance towards Doc. He thought he would feel bad, abandoning the man that had done so much for him over the years. But instead all he felt was relief. He was out. He didn’t have to drive for anyone else anymore. That feeling was reward enough on its own. 

In the parking lot, Buddy pushed Baby towards a different car. “Go home, get packed, meet us at the diner from earlier in exactly 30 minutes. If you’re late, we can’t help you anymore. Promise me you’re gonna be there?” 

“Yeah. I promise,” Baby said, nodding vigorously. 

“Good boy.” Buddy ruffled his hair. “Don’t be late.” 

He and Darling peeled off in their car, leaving Baby alone in the parking lot. Baby took a deep breath. 30 minutes. He could do this. His screwdriver shattered the window of Doc’s favorite ride and he got it started easily. Don’t be late.


	2. Chapter 2

“Since when do we do shit like this?” Darling demanded in the car on the way to the diner. 

“C’mon. It’s Baby. You always said you wanted to get to know him better, here’s your opportunity.”

“That was before he killed Bats.”

“You wanted to kill Bats. You’re probably the one who gave him the idea in the first place.”

“Shut up.”

The parking lot of the diner was empty except for one car. That was understandable, it was almost midnight. Buddy and Darling went inside to wait for Baby, only to find him already inside. 

He was leaning over the counter, talking urgently with the girl behind the counter. 

“You need to leave,” she said. 

“Debora, hear me out. Please?”

“No, get out of my restaurant.” 

“I just wanna -” 

She held up a can of mace that cut Baby off mid sentence. Her eyes landed on Buddy and Darling and her lower lip quivered. “You two get outta here too. Whatever you’re doing, I don’t want it in here. I’m gonna call the police.”

“C’mon, Baby. We’re gonna miss our flight,” Buddy said softly. He gently grabbed Baby’s shoulder and tugged him towards the door. It didn’t take much prodding. Baby grabbed his backpack off the floor and left quickly. 

“Girlfriend?” Darling asked as they walked towards the car. 

“No. Almost,” Baby said. 

The car ride was mainly quiet. Darling sang along to the radio, but couldn’t really bring herself to enjoy it. She watched Baby in the rearview mirror and tried not to look at the somber way he fiddled with the zippers of his bag. 

“Don’t worry, Baby. It’s gonna be like a vacation. What was your favorite vacation?” she asked, just to break the tension. 

“I’ve never had one.” 

“What? Not even when you were a kid?” 

“I’ve been working for Doc since I was eleven. No vacations.” 

“Fuck,” she whispered, turning her attention away from Baby again. She and Buddy locked eyes briefly. “Your turn,” she mouthed. 

“Uh.” Buddy cleared his throat. “So, we’re headed to Argentina.”

“Okay.” 

Darling glared at Buddy. “That’s all you’ve got?” she hissed. 

Buddy shrugged as he pulled into the airport parking lot. He was never good at this kind of thing. Come to think of it, Darling was even worse. Maybe this was a bad idea. He glanced at Baby in the rearview mirror. Too late to back out now. 

They shouldered their carry-ons and grabbed their luggage. Baby thought that Darling and Buddy looked like celebrities, with their matching suitcases and expensive travel clothes. He stayed a few steps behind, just so that his old sneakers and ripped jacket wouldn’t ruin their image. 

“Where’s your suitcase?” Darling asked over her shoulder. 

“I ain’t got one. This is all I need,” he said. 

They passed through security with ease, much to Baby’s surprise. He wasn’t quite sure what they did, because he knew for a fact that they were both packing heat. Whatever. It wasn’t his place to pry. 

Buddy and Darling settled down on a couch beside their terminal. Baby stood awkwardly beside them. 

“Everything alright, kid?” Buddy asked, looking up at him. 

“Where’s my flight?” 

“What do you mean?”

“Sorry. I’ve never been on a plane before. I don’t know where to go.” 

Buddy and Darling exchanged looks. 

“You’re coming with us,” she said. 

Baby’s eyes widened just slightly. He looked so much more scared without his sunglasses. 

“Did you think we were just gonna stick you on a plane and let you fend for yourself?” 

“Why wouldn’t you?” 

“Because you’d be dead in a week,” Darling said nonchalantly. 

Baby just shrugged. “Not your problem.” 

Buddy patted the seat next to him. “We need a driver,” he said. Telling Baby that they were taking him with just to be nice probably would’ve blown his mind. He figured it was best to just tell the kid what he needed to hear for a little while longer. 

They boarded the plane and Baby ended up in the window seat. Darling offered him a piece of gum that he initially refused. But the look on her face made him nervous so he just took it. The lift off was scarier than he had expected. As soon as the wheels left the ground, his hand was clutching Darling’s as if it would save him. 

She stared at his hand for a second, debating stabbing it. Then she noticed the fearful look in his eyes as he stared out the window. A pang of sympathy hit her long enough to subside her violent tendencies. She reached over him to close the window. 

“It’s easier if you don’t think about it,” she said. 

He nodded but didn’t look any more relaxed. 

“Just close your eyes.” 

What she hadn’t expected (but probably shouldn’t have been surprised by) was Baby falling asleep with his head on her shoulder. It was approaching 2 am, after all. She looked towards Buddy, who was grinning while pretending to read his book. 

“What?” she demanded. 

“It’s just cute. To see you be all sweet to him.” 

“Are you implying that I’m not always sweet?” she asked, practically daring him to say otherwise. 

“Of course not, Darling. You’re always peachy and wonderful.” 

She rolled her eyes and looked towards Baby. He squirmed a bit in his seat, his head digging into her shoulder. Darling surprised herself when her first thought was that he looked cute when he slept. 

“Is this a good idea?” she asked. 

“Probably not.” 

“Buddy.” 

“Darling?” 

“You’re supposed to be encouraging.” 

“Well. We decided to take in a budding criminal in his early twenties. He for sure has emotional issues and we are for sure completely unprepared to help him manage that. I’m being realistic.” 

She sighed and dropped her head on top of Baby’s. “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.” 

“He doesn’t have any other options.”

Darling patted Baby’s forearm, just to see how it would feel. His fingers twitched. Her hand slid into his and squeezed testingly. Baby didn’t wake up, but his hand squeezed hers back. Her own fondness made her irritable, almost angry with Baby for being so easy to love. 

“You’re sweet,” Buddy whispered into her ear. 

“Shut the fuck up,” she replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Baby stood uncomfortably in the doorway as Darling and Buddy inspected their hotel room. One of Buddy’s old friends had guaranteed them the top floor suite to stay in until further notice. Buddy said they were planning on stay for a year before moving to Korea for a year. If all went according to plan, they’d find a place to settle down semi permanently. 

Currently, Darling was popping open a bottle of wine while Buddy messed with a pair of speakers. Baby stayed rooted in the doorway, backpack over his shoulder still. As he looked at the crystal chandelier and the clean white carpet, one thought was blaring in his mind like a siren. 

“I don’t belong here,” he whispered to himself. 

“Hey, Baby. Come on over here to help me,” Buddy called. 

He twitched his lips before heading over. Nervously, he stood beside Buddy and just watched him fiddle with the cords. 

“You got any idea how this works, kid?” Buddy asked. 

“Uh.” Baby licked his lips. “You have to plug it into the wall outlet.” 

Buddy laughed at his own mistake and did as Baby suggested. “Why don’t you put on something we can party too? Something slow, but with a beat.” 

Baby put on his playlist of songs for driving to the job. Calm enough to let him keep a steady head, but with enough bass to get his heart pumping. Darling poured three glasses of wine in rhythm to the guitar chords that played. She handed one over to Baby right as the beat switched and the song dropped. He could feel it deep in his stomach. Buddy nodded along to the song. 

“Great choice,” he said. 

“Why are we celebrating?” Baby asked, swirling the wine nervously in his hand. He’d drank before, but it had been years since he’d been drunk. On his 16th birthday, Doc had laid out an array of beverages and encouraged Baby to get a good sample from each one. He couldn’t remember the taste of anything after the third drink. He doubted that his tolerance had grown without practice. 

“We’ve got a few friends comin’ over, a little welcome party. You’re not obligated to attend. If you don’t wanna be here, you can go to the lobby to hangout,” Darling said. 

“The lobby? Don’t listen to her Baby, you can hide in our room if you need a break.” The couple shared a look that Baby for sure didn’t want to get in the middle of. 

“I’ll be fine. I can just sit on the couch and be good,” he said. He’d sat in the background of so many of Doc’s parties that blending into the furniture had practically become his hobby. He was an expert at not moving and keeping himself entertained. 

Darling nodded. “Good. It’ll be better that way anyways. So people can get used to you being around. You know how some people are about you.” 

“Darling,” Buddy warned. 

“There’s no way he doesn’t know about the way people feel about it.” 

“You don’t gotta point it out to him, though.” 

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” Baby cut in. Buddy and Darling were either very good at hiding their relationship problems on the job, or Baby was too much for them to handle. The guilt of making them fight gnawed at his stomach. “I know how people are about me.” 

Buddy looked like he wanted to say more, but the doorbell rang three times. He patted Baby on the shoulder as he walked past to open the door. On the other side was a man, with two gorgeous 20 somethings under each of his arms. His face broke into a wide grin when he saw Buddy. 

“Well, heya Jason. How do you like your suite?” 

Baby sat down by the speakers and sipped at his wine. Darling brushed her hand over the top of his head as she made her way closer to the door. 

“You must be Charlie? Jason has told me so much about you. I can’t thank you enough for helping us out,” she said, her smile equal parts charming and deadly. 

“Well, you must be Monica. You’re devastatingly out of Jason’s league, do you know this?” Charlie took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly, his grin just as dangerous. 

“I know,” she replied sweetly. 

Charlie’s eyes swept past them and landed on Baby. “Jesus Christ, Buddy. Is that the ‘baby’ you were talking about on the phone? Has it really been that long?” 

“Oh, he’s not our baby. He’s a co worker, his name is Baby,” Darling explained. 

The group moved closer and Baby wished that the couch cushions would swallow him up. Charlie towered over him, his presence so domineering that Baby couldn’t take his eyes off the floor. He wanted his sunglasses. It’d look strange, wearing sunglasses inside at 11 o’clock at night, but it would’ve been better than feeling the others know his every thought. 

“Baby, is it?” Charlie asked. 

“Yeah,” Baby muttered. 

“No manners. What a shame,” Charlie said dryly. 

Baby’s eyes flew to Buddy, his chest tight. The feeling of knowing he messed up spread through him like ink in water. The song ended and a brief moment of silence held the tension. The next one picked up and Charlie pinched Baby’s cheek. 

“I’m just kidding. Don’t sweat it.” He sounded so casual that Baby wasn’t sure if he meant it or not. Charlie turned to take his own glass of wine from Darling and raised his eyebrows at her. “Kid’s wound tighter than a two dollar watch,” he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. 

She didn’t say anything. Baby’s anxiety had triggered something almost protective in her. Which was ridiculous. There were two people she loved in this world, Buddy and herself. Since when did she start letting some doe-eyed kid play harp with her heartstrings? 

The doorbell rang again, and more people poured in. Soon, the suite was so packed with people that Baby couldn’t move from the couch even if he wanted to. Alcohol was passed around while he nursed at the same glass of wine. The air grew cloudy with smoke. A couple was making out so vigorously beside him that they didn’t even realize that they were continuously bumping into him. Either that or they just didn’t care. 

Buddy put his hands on Darling’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Charlie has a little surprise for us in the bathroom.” He kissed her other cheek. “Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?” 

She rolled her eyes. “I hate when you try to use slang. Just call it cocaine.” Regardless, she returned the kiss and smiled at him. “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Travel makes you cranky. I knew that before I got on a 12 hour plane ride with you.” 

Hand in hand, they closed themselves into the bathroom with Charlie. This was the type of stuff you didn’t just share. And for whatever reason, Buddy found himself uncomfortable with the idea of it happening in the same room as Baby. Bats had implied on multiple occasions that Baby was just as much of a coke fiend as Buddy and Darling, but he doubted there was any validity to that statement. 

The kissed and passed the crack pipe around the tight circle they formed with Charlie. Buddy let himself stop worrying. Darling leaned against him, her lips working their way along his jaw. She always wanted a little more attention when she was high. She always wanted a little more attention in general. 

Buddy’s lips were dry from smoking, but Darling’s stayed supple and warm. She was always perfect, as far as Buddy was concerned. Even when she scowled at herself in the mirror in the middle of a hangover, Buddy thought she looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine. He pulled her closer and let himself get lost in the moment. For a brief period of time, there was no Baby looking nervous on the couch, no Doc screaming death threats as he bled out on the ground. Just the softness of her skin and the soft music of her laugh. 

After awhile, Charlie stood and stretched. “I oughtta head home,” he said. “We should do this again though. Soon.” 

“Leaving already? Since when do you leave a party early?” Buddy asked. 

Charlie laughed and shook his head. “The party’s over, Jason. That shit hit you hard tonight, Darling’ll have to take extra good care of you.” He opened the bathroom door, revealing the trashed but empty hotel suite to prove his point. 

They walked him to the door, locked it shut behind him, and turned to survey the damage. Buddy felt a little wobblier on his feet than usual, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He opened the blinds just slightly and made a face at the sunshine that peeped through. How he lost track of that much time was a mystery to him. He decided to blame it on all the stress Doc had put them through.

“Buddy?” Darling touched his arm to get his attention. “Something’s wrong with Baby.” 

He was in the same spot on the couch, but had curled in on himself. Buddy kneeled on the ground beside him and put his hand softly on the center of Baby’s back. The way Baby flinched away had Buddy backing up a few inches to give him space. 

“Talk to me. What happened?” 

“It was, um, they wouldn’t leave me alone. I didn’t want to be annoying, so I just put it on my tongue.” Baby swallowed audibly, his hands shaking like a leaf. 

“Oh.” Buddy turned to look at Darling. “Somebody gave Baby acid.” 

Darling dropped beside him too and held her hand out to Baby. He didn’t move for a few seconds and then grabbed it. After another second, he cleared his throat. “Am I ever gonna be normal again?” 

Buddy stifled a laugh. “Yeah, you’ll be fine in a few hours.” 

“Go get him some water. Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart,” Darling said. She hauled Baby to his feet, despite the way he whined in protest. He stumbled heavily, looking as if his body was made of bags of sand. 

Without thinking, Darling dragged Baby to the big bed that she and Buddy had claimed. He dropped into it as soon as she let go. What she hadn’t been prepared for was for Baby to continue holding onto her hand. 

“Babe?” She tugged on her hand half-heartedly, not quite ready to actually let go. But she wanted to give him the option to. Her other hand come up to stroke at the short brown hair that had formed into a bird’s nest on the top of his head. Minutely, he tilted his head into the touch, his long neck stretching and exposing itself beautifully. 

Darling shook her head lightly, trying to physically clear the thoughts out of her head. That wasn’t why they’d saved Baby. She couldn’t help herself though. Her hair fell over him like a curtain as she bent down to press a kiss to his temple. The sigh of relief that tumbled from his lips made her heart swell.  
Buddy didn’t say anything as he came up beside her, but his smile was all-knowing. He set a glass of water on the bedside table and dropped Baby’s ipod and earbuds onto the pillow beside him. 

“I take it we’re sleeping on the couch tonight?” Buddy asked. 

“What do you want, Baby?” Darling asked softly, her hand moving to rub his shoulder gently. 

But Baby couldn’t make his mouth form the words to answer even if he knew what he wanted. He was officially down for the count. With his earbuds in, he braced his arms over his face, tucked his head between his knees, and stayed that way. Darling watched him for a second with an unreadable expression on her face. 

“What?” Buddy asked. 

“We’re just making it worse for him,” she whispered. 

“This is his best option. We’ll just watch him more closely next time,” Buddy replied, pulling her into a hug so they could drop their voices even lower. 

“I got fired from my babysitting gig,” she said. 

“Well, this is your second chance.”

Darling buried her head in Buddy’s chest and let herself breathe in the scent of his cologne. They could do this. They had to. One mishap wasn’t going to kill Baby. Well, this mishap wasn’t going to kill Baby. Besides, they had at least another 24 hours before Doc could even start to pinpoint their location. If there was any time to fuck up, it was now. 

“At least this one’s potty-trained,” she murmured. Buddy’s laugh was deep and comforting. Darling could’ve gotten lost in it forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It actually really took me this long to figure out how to make the story incomplete. 
> 
> Forgive me.

Once he’d come down (and gotten over the hangover) Baby was okay for three days. Which was honestly a record for him. For an entire 72 hours, Baby followed Darling and Buddy around, wasn’t in their way, and didn’t think about Doc wanting to kill him. 

And when he stopped being okay, he continued to pretend he was. Partially he was proud of himself for keeping the couple in the dark, but mostly he was just focused on not reacting. Luckily, the two of them only knew his on the job persona. So the fact that he wasn’t saying more than a word an hour didn’t really set off any alarms for them. 

About a week after they’d arrived was when Baby’s mental state really hit the fan. 

It got really bad when Buddy took him into a casino. Baby had just stood beside him quietly as he threw dice, earbuds in and eyes unfocused. Buddy nudged him casually with his elbow. He waited until they made eye contact before pulling out one of Baby’s earbuds. The dice, pinched between two of his fingers and his thumb, were raised to Baby’s mouth. 

“You’re supposed to blow on them. To give me good luck,” Buddy explained. 

“Why me?” 

“Well, when you gamble, you’re supposed to have a pretty young thing give you good luck.” 

Baby considered this for a second. “What if you’re already a pretty young thing?” he asked, glancing at Darling who was cleaning house at the blackjack table not far away. 

Buddy followed his gaze and smiled. “Then you find a prettier younger thing.” 

That sounded like it could spiral out of control, but Baby decided not to mention that. Buddy nudged him again, so he did as he was asked to do. The dice rolled terribly. A good chunk of Buddy’s winnings went back to the table. 

Baby’s face didn’t move, but his whole body tightened. He could hear Buddy’s voice in his head, screaming and furious. 

“Baby, you’re fucking jinxed!” 

For a moment, Baby was back in that car, terrified and with no allies. He could practically hear the gunshots. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched Buddy to judge his reaction. He was almost expecting to be sent packing. 

But the man just dropped his arm over Baby’s shoulders and grinned ear to ear. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s try again, yeah?” he said, holding up another pair of dice. 

This time, Baby pursed his lips but didn’t blow. Buddy noticed but decided not to say anything in order to avoid making Baby even more uncomfortable. This role was absolutely perfect. Lucky enough to win Buddy his money back and then some. He rubbed Baby’s shoulder but didn’t say anything. Baby bit his tongue for not hiding his panic well enough. 

The next morning, it happened again. Baby was trying to fry up some eggs for breakfast when Darling past him into the bathroom. He wasn’t that great of a cook (Joe could testify to that) but he felt the need to do something, anything, to pull his weight. 

“Ah, Jesus!” she called. 

Baby was at the door to the bathroom in the blink of an eye. He knocked twice and opened the door when she told him to come in. His eyes roamed quickly around the room, trying to find what had aggravated her. She was leaning on the wall, glaring at the sink, and clutching her chest. 

“Sorry, I just… The fucking thing bit me,” she said. 

Baby peered into the sink and saw a beetle type creature about the size of the palm of his hand. Bugs didn’t usually bother him, but this thing looked like a beast. He glanced back at Darling, who was looking at him expectantly. Oh. Looking more calm than he felt, Baby went back into the kitchen and grabbed the spatula he’d been using to fry the eggs. Carefully, he shoved it beneath the beetle’s legs. Darling opened the window and he flung it out quickly. 

“Thanks,” she said as he began washing the spatula in the sink. “I hate bugs.” Darling shuddered and clicked her tongue. All at once, several days worth of stress hit her at once. “God. I hate this fucking country. I hate the heat, I hate not knowing anybody, I hate not knowing where to go. I hate these fucking bugs. Look at my hand! This is gonna be sore for days!” 

Without taking his eyes off the spatula, Baby froze. Again, he could hear the echo of her voice. 

“This is your mess, Baby! Your fault!” 

As he watched the water run over his hands, he wondered how long it would take for her to reach the conclusion he did. If he hadn’t fucked up that job, she could be in Vegas with Buddy getting married again. How long would it take for her anger to refocus on him? 

She opened her mouth to continue. Baby braced himself for something scathing. The fire alarms cut her off before her voice hit the air. 

“Shit,” Baby hissed, hurrying back to the eggs. Black smoke was filling the air and stinging at his eyes. It wasn’t the first meal he’d charred, and it wouldn’t be the last, but this one felt like a big mistake. That sense of doom hung over him as he grabbed the frying pan and dropped it into the sink. 

He got the water running over it to cool it down and turned the stove off. Maybe that wasn’t really the way to handle the situation but it was the only thing he could think to do. While he opened the windows, Darling crawled onto the table to turn off the fire alarm. 

“Well. I didn’t even know you could swear,” she said, waiting for him to walk back over. 

Baby shrugged before grabbing her hand to hold her steady as she climbed back down. “I’m real sorry about that,” he mumbled. “All of that. This whole thing.” 

“Whataya mean?” she asked. “It’s just eggs. We can get room service up here in 20 minutes.” 

“No, I mean… Well, I also mean the eggs, but also this whole thing.” He swallowed before continuing. “I’m sorry I dragged you and Buddy into this. I shouldn’t have -”

Her hands rested on either side of his face. He stopped talking immediately, stunned at the tenderness of her action. Carefully, Darling circled her fingers over his temples to ease the tension lines on his forehead. 

“Doc had you stuck under his thumb. You saw your way out, you took it. We’re out. Buddy and I aren’t mad at you.” She pulled lightly on his ears so he’d bend down. Raising on her toes, she kissed the top of his bowed head. “If you think this is our first time going on the run, you’re more innocent than you have any right to be.” 

Baby smiled and let himself take a deep breath. The knot in his stomach eased enough for him to return to his calm demeanor. But it didn’t untangle completely. It was the same feeling he’d had since the car accident that killed his parents, and over the years he’d gotten used to it. The sickly feeling of anxiety had just grown on him, like moss on a rock. 

It didn’t go away, but Darling kept it from overtaking him. That was more than he’d have ever dared to ask for.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so short but like??? Idk man, we'll just have to deal with it.

Baby had seen every episode of “The Brady Bunch.” Some, even two or three times. It was one of Joe’s favorites. He remembered watching Bobby dump too much detergent into the washing machine and flood the whole room with bubbles. Honestly, he’d always thought the kid was just stupid. 

He hadn’t been thinking of that episode when he’d started the dishwasher and left to go to the bathroom. Buddy and Darling had just left to get groceries and Baby knew they had nothing but dirty dishes. He’d never used a dishwasher before, but how hard could it be? Walking back into the kitchen, brushing his teeth, was when Baby suddenly remembered that specific episode. 

“Uh oh,” he said around his toothbrush. 

Sudsy water was spreading all over the tile floor, bubbles were almost knee high right by the dishwasher. And it didn’t look like it was winding down to a stop. Baby dropped his toothbrush on the table and ran to the closet. He came back with a mop and no plan. 

The door opened as Baby was frantically pushing around the bubbles. It wasn’t helping, but he didn’t really have another idea. Buddy wasn’t really paying attention as he burst into the room, head down and scanning the countertops with his eyes. 

“Hey, Baby, sorry to bother you. I forgot the car keys, isn’t that stupid of me? I was-” He slipped on the water and hit the ground. Blinking in surprise, Buddy looked around the room. Still sitting on the ground, Buddy took in the sight of the water and bubbles flooding towards him. “Baby, what did you do?” he asked, a low chuckle in his voice. 

Baby’s grip on the mop tightened and he froze. His knuckles were turning right. He couldn’t tell if he was breathing too fast or not breathing at all. “Baby, what did you do?” played again in his head. But it wasn’t from Buddy, sitting and smiling on the kitchen floor. Baby felt like he was back in the stolen car, rammed into the back corner of Buddy and Darling’s truck. 

Buddy noticed the panic immediately. He’d also gone over that moment a few times in his own head. Looking at Baby get overwhelmed with anxiety a few times a day had left him with a guilt settling in his bones. As soon as he saw the look on Baby’s face, he recognized his mistake. 

“Oh, shit,” he muttered. He scrambled to his feet too quickly and landed on his knees. By the time he made his way to Baby, he was covered in bubbles. He put one hand on the side of Baby’s neck and planted the other in his chest. The intention was to calm Baby down but it only seemed to make things worse. 

Buddy took his hands away and took a step back. His hands felt like they were burning as he remembered the last time he’d put his hands on Baby like that. With Bats dead in the car beside them, Buddy was sure that he would’ve killed Baby if it hadn’t been for Darling. This time, Baby didn’t snarl and say something clever. Buddy didn’t think he would actually miss that. 

“Are you okay? Can you breathe?” he asked. 

“Yeah.” Baby coughed to try and mask it. “It’s fine.” He pushed the mop across the floor uselessly. 

Buddy laughed a bit. “What were you thinking with this?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft as he could. 

“I, uh.” Baby gave a nervous smile and just shook his head. “I dunno.” 

“Here, let me help.” 

“No, no, it’s fine. Go catch up with Darling. I’m okay.” 

Buddy looked hesitant. He rapped his knuckles against the counter and nodded. “Alright. Just, Baby can you promise me something?” 

His first instinct was to say “no” but Baby just nodded instead. 

“Can you promise me that you’ll take it easy? Darling and I aren’t mad at you. This is your home too, for the time being. I don’t want you to die of a heart attack or something.” 

Baby nodded a bit. He thought it over for a second before nodding again. “I’ll give it a shot.” 

Buddy grinned knocked on the counter again, right in time with Baby’s music. “You’re a good kid.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't decide if I want this to be romantic at all? 
> 
> What do you guys think? Polyamory or parenthood?

Charlie didn’t come around every night, but he was around often enough. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out the dynamic of the three of them. It had taken less than an hour to figure out that Baby was the weak link. Why the other two bothered to keep him around, Charlie couldn’t quite tell yet. Buddy was sentimental, sure, but not to this extreme. He’d left his wife of 16 years behind when the company went under, he wouldn’t drag around some street rat just for the hell of it. 

It wasn’t that Charlie didn’t like Baby, it was just that he hated kids. And dead weight. Those two things usually went hand and hand though. He thought being a dad would change how he felt about it, but it didn’t. Seeing Baby just reminded him of all the things he hated most. 

When he was invited over for dinner, he found himself with an opportunity. If Buddy wouldn’t ditch the deadweight himself, maybe Charlie could help him out. When you had a diseased limb, you didn’t hold onto it until the whole body died. So Charlie came over earlier than the time he’d been invited. 

He opened the door to their suite, knowing Buddy and Darling would be out on a job still. Baby was at the kitchen counter, looking at a cookbook as if it was an unreadable ancient text. When Charlie walked in, he looked around nervously. 

“Um, Bud- Jason and Monica aren’t home yet. They won’t finish until 7.” Baby wrung his hands and checked the clock to make sure he hadn’t lost track of time. Charlie showing up 20 minutes early was a red flag if he’d ever seen one. 

“Oh, that’s fine. We can chit-chat for a bit, can’t we?” he approached Baby, his footsteps heavy. The younger man backed up until he was pressed against the refrigerator. Charlie’s mouth stretched into a sharp-toothed grin. He opened the cabinet next to Baby’s head and pulled out a wine glass. “Where does Jason keep the alcohol around here?”

Baby ducked away from Charlie and moved to another cabinet. He pulled out the bottle that Charlie always drank from and set it on the counter. Without giving Charlie another look, he went back to the cookbook. 

“Everything alright, Baby?” Charlie asked. 

Baby nodded, but kept his attention focused on mixing together ingredients. 

“What’s your real name?”

“Baby.”

“Oh, c’mon. You know Jason and Monica’s real names now. Don’t you think it’s fair that they know yours?” 

“It’s just Baby.” 

“After everything they’ve done for you, and you can’t even give them that? Why don’t you trust them? Or are you still planning something for yourself?” Charlie was standing right behind Baby now. His presence was threatening, but in a latent way. The way Doc’s felt. 

Baby pulled out his wallet and dropped his driver’s license onto the counter. Charlie picked it up and examined carefully, trying to tell if it was real or not. But Doc’s guy was good. Nobody had ever been able to tell they were fakes, and Charlie was no different. 

“So, Mr. Douglas. Your name’s really Baby?” he asked. 

“Yes.” 

Charlie let the silence settle. Making people sweat it out was always fun. Especially people like Baby. He waited until it got to the point that Baby was accidentally dropping ingredients. 

“So, where will you go after this?” 

“Buddy says we’ll go to Japan.” Baby wasn’t sure if he was allowed to tell Charlie the plan. He figured he could pick a country that it would be understandable that he could get mixed up.  
Charlie laughed and shook his head. “You think they’ll take you with? That’s cute.”

“They are going to take me with.” 

“Baby, how much do you know about Jason’s past?” Charlie set his glass down on the counter. 

Instead of facing him, Baby turned around to put his concoction in the microwave. Joe would’ve had a cow if he’d known Baby had entirely given up on ovens already. He said that it killed all the nutrition of the dish. Baby hadn’t seen any scientific studies to prove that, so for now he was baking chicken in the microwave. 

“Do you know about Mark?” 

“I don’t care about Mark,” Baby said. 

“When our company went under, Jason took Mark on the run with him. Mark, he was a good kid, but he was young and stupid. Not too different from you. He was actually the one who got us caught.” 

Charlie was pacing along the counter, dragging his finger along the edge. He lifted it to his face and made a face. Baby just watched the food in the microwave spin and hoped Darling and Buddy would come home early tonight. 

“Jason hated that. But he’s the type of guy who’s in it for the long con, you know? So he let the kid think everything was fine for six months.” 

Baby’s skin felt too tight for his body. “What happened after six months?” 

“Well, once Mark was absolutely positive that Jason wasn’t mad at him, Jason murdered him.” 

“Murdered?” Baby swallowed and pulled the food out of the microwave. The plate burned his hand, but he was too focused on keeping a straight face. 

“Yeah. It was insane. Jason absolutely brutalized the poor kid, there was practically nothing left. He told me it felt better knowing that Mark completely trusted him when it happened.” Charlie shook his head and laughed. “Ain’t that fucked up?” 

“Oh.” 

“I think I’ve got pictures of the crime scene from before the clean up. Wanna see?” 

“No, that’s okay!” Baby tried to busy himself by finishing the cooking. It didn’t look very appetizing, but he didn’t know how to fix it. He also didn’t want to. Knowing that this was all an act to lure him into a false sense of security had drained all of the energy out of him. 

“If you want my advice, I’d say book it now. Just know that if Jason finds you, it’ll be so much worse.” Charlie took a long drink from his wine. “Or you could just throw yourself into the Matanza river.”

Baby took a deep breath. “Thanks, I’ll think about it.” But he’d already made up his mind about the subject. 

By the time Buddy and Darling had arrived, Baby had set the table and Charlie was on his second glass of wine. Baby had given up and ordered room service and served it up. The air in the room was thick with tension. Darling could tell something was wrong immediately. 

“How was your day, kiddo?” she asked, kissing Baby’s cheek in greeting. 

She didn’t miss the way he flinched away from the touch. He didn’t pull completely away, intent on trying to act like nothing was wrong. Darling stopped before her lips could touch his cheek anyways. She rubbed his shoulder and studied his face for a moment. 

“Everything okay?” she asked. 

“I think I’m just coming down with something.” Baby gestured to the table. “Are you hungry?” 

As they sat around the table, Darling gave Buddy a meaningful look. Baby was sat on the other side of the table beside Charlie, but he’d pulled his chair as far away as possible without it being too noticeable. Darling wished she knew enough about Baby to tell if that was him just wanting personal space or not. 

Buddy was oblivious to the whole situation, chatting amiably with Charlie. He would throw out a few sentences towards Baby every once in awhile, but not wait for his response. “God, I love the food here. Don’t you love the food here, Baby? Charlie, give the chef a raise.” Darling could’ve strangled him for his own stupidity. 

Baby sat quietly the whole meal. As soon as everyone was done eating, he scooped up the plates and left for the kitchen. Charlie watched him go, a smile on his face that made Darling suspicious. She thought about following Baby into the kitchen to interrogate him about what was going on. Before she could move though, Buddy stood up. 

“You want some whiskey, Charlie? I’m feeling something a little stronger tonight,” he said, still buzzing from the job done well. 

“Why, I’d love some, Jason.” He watched Jason leave the room and then settled his attention on Darling. “He’s in a good mood. Job went well?” 

She ran her finger along the edge of her wine glass, let the ringing of it continue like a siren. “It went great. How long were you here before us? I thought you weren’t coming over until seven.” 

“Oh, I found some free time. Thought I’d come over early and get to know Baby. He’s a good kid.” Charlie picked at his teeth and leaned back in his chair. “Not too bright though. That’s a good thing to have in a co worker.” 

“He’s a great kid. And you’d be surprised at how clever he is. I’ve seen that kid come up with the most amazing ways to get us out of some insane situations. He’s not the type of person you should undermine.” The fact that Charlie was implying Baby was just a mindless pawn made her angry. He was young but he wasn’t stupid. 

“That’s interesting. He didn’t come off very smart when we were talking.” He looked towards the door to the kitchen and quieted down. They could hear Buddy talking to Baby, and the occasional noise from Baby to signify that he was listening. “He actually told me something interesting.” 

“Which was?” 

“He’s not staying much longer. It’s funny, because he doesn’t seem like a snitch. But he really implied selling you guys out to save his own skin.” 

Darling wasn’t convinced. If anything, it’d be easier for them to sell out Baby to get back on Doc’s good side. Instead of revealing that she was onto him, Darling decided to play along. She widened her eyes slightly more to portray surprise. 

“He said that? That doesn’t sound like the type of thing Baby would say.” 

“Well, maybe you know Baby, but you don’t know George.” 

That truly caught Darling off guard. “He told you his real name?” Charlie had to be lying. Baby wouldn’t even tell her and Buddy his real name. He wasn’t the type of guy to just give out information about himself. But it did make her question herself. Was he just this guarded and closed off around her and Buddy? 

Buddy came back into the room, drinks in hand. “Baby’s not feeling well, he went to go lay down,” he said, setting them out. 

“That’s too bad,” Charlie said, not looking sympathetic at all. 

Darling decided officially that she did not want Charlie to ever be in the room with Baby again.


	7. Chapter 7

Darling had decided to stay late on the job, said there was something she had to take care of. Buddy offered to stay back with her, but she insisted he go home. He supposed she had a point. It was almost midnight and Baby had been home alone all day. The kid was probably bored to death, if nothing else. 

He opened the door quietly. It was late, Baby should be in bed. Buddy knew he didn’t sleep, but Baby usually retreated to his bedroom overnight anyways. To his surprise, Baby was sat on the floor by the couch, a few lamps turned on. His head was bowed, and he was fiddling with something in his lap. 

“Babe? What’re you doing up?” he asked quietly. 

Baby turned his head to look at Buddy. He was wearing his sunglasses. Buddy took a step closer and was finally able to make out what Baby had been fidgeting with. A steak knife was balanced between his fingers. 

“What’s going on?” Buddy asked, keeping his voice soft. He made sure to keep the edge of nervousness out of his voice too. The kid’s expression was unreadable behind his dark lenses, but Buddy could tell my the twitch of his lips that he was thinking through a million different possibilities at once. 

“Charlie told me about Mark,” Baby said after a long silence. 

Buddy felt his heart drop into his feet. That had been years ago, before he’d even picked up Darling. He could only imagine why it had come up now. 

“I’m not like that anymore. I was still young back then, I thought the world owed me. Do you understand, Baby?” 

“I understand. It’s okay, Buddy.” Baby stood to face him. He adjusted his earbuds and shuffled his feet. 

“I don’t want to do that to you. I promise.” 

Baby flinched as if Buddy had screamed. “Don’t. No more lying. It’s okay. I understand.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want you to waste your time. Hold out your hand.” 

Buddy opened his mouth to say something, but cut himself off when Baby shook his head. Slowly, he extended his hand out, palm facing up. He wasn’t really sure what Baby had planned. Would he plunge the knife right through his palm? Would he grab his wrist and use it to pull Buddy closer, hoping for a better angle at his heart? 

Instead, Baby pressed the handle of the knife into his hand and closed Buddy’s fingers around it. He patted Buddy’s forearm before letting his hands drop to his sides. Buddy didn’t move. Baby watched him expectantly.

“What’s this, kid?” he asked. 

“Just tell me how long you want it to last so I can pick the right playlist.” Baby shuffled his feet again. “If you don’t mind though, my longest playlist is only an hour, so I’d appreciate it if you kept it quicker than that.” 

It clicked then for Buddy. He should’ve hit him sooner, but he’d been too caught off guard to see it clearly. “Jesus! Are you asking me to kill you?” 

“Six months is a long time to put up with someone you don’t like. I just want to help.” Baby’s lips quirked like he was trying to smile but didn’t want to. 

Carefully, Buddy raised his free hand and pulled Baby’s sunglasses off of his face. His eyelashes were wet with tears, the rims of them red and puffy. But along with that was a sort of crazed excitement. Buddy felt sick to his stomach. 

Baby grabbed Buddy’s hand and the knife. With a strength that Buddy was unprepared for him to have, he yanked the blade up so that it was pressed against his throat. After a second, he gave a short nod. 

“Go ahead, it’s okay. It’s good, see! Because now I don’t have to annoy you and Darling. I can just be gone,” Baby said, a forced happiness in his tone. When Buddy didn’t respond, he pulled back. “Wait, you don’t want to stain the carpet. Listen, if you put me in a car, put it in neutral and then push it into a river or something, then there would be no need for the police to get involved.” 

“Baby, stop. Have you been planning this all day?” Buddy tossed the knife onto the couch and put his hands on Baby’s shoulders. He began patting Baby down to make sure he didn’t have any other weapons. 

“Since last night,” Baby said, nodding vehemently. “Charlie said I should go into hiding or something, but I didn’t want to be a bother. I just want this to go smoothly.” 

Buddy couldn’t believe the situation. How did Baby have so little self preservation? Had Doc really worn him down this much? He pulled Baby into a hug and just held him. Within seconds, the kid was shuddering against his chest. Buddy stroked his hair and murmured comfort words into his ear. 

“I’m sorry, Buddy, I just didn’t want to make you waste your time with me. I don’t want what happened to Mark to happen to me,” Baby choked out between gasping breaths. 

“I didn’t mean to kill Mark. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to scare the shit out of him. I went too far though. I’m not going to make that mistake with you, yeah?” Buddy gently rocked both of them back and forth. He’d always known that killing Mark, accident or not, would come back to haunt him. The fact that it was coming back in a way that hurt Baby so bad felt like a cruel cosmic joke. What had Baby ever done to anyone? 

“You said you were going to kill me,” Baby said, more confused than accusatory. It terrified him how safe he felt in Buddy’s arms. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. He glanced at the clock on the wall. By this time, he should have been bleeding out. 

Years ago, after a job that went particularly well, Buddy bought Baby a single Reese’s Peanut Butter cup. He’d slid it across the table while Doc had counted the money and winked. “Call it a reward for a job well done,” he had said. When Baby gave a small smile in response, Buddy couldn’t help but smile back. The kid always left him with warm fuzzy feelings. 

After Buddy had left, Doc had slapped Baby hard across the face. “You think Buddy’s your friend? You think he cares about you or something?” he had said, laughing heartily at the shocked look on Baby’s face. “He’s just excited about all the money you make him. Trust me, the minute you stop performing at peak level, Buddy’ll be the first to have you laying face down in a landfill.” 

Baby didn’t even realize how much he’d believed until this moment. Doc’s words had hung over every interaction he’d had with Buddy since then. Every time he felt himself warming up to the man, the sting of his face came back to remind him it wasn’t real. Buddy was just playing with him, just fucking with the driver. Everyone did it, Buddy was just more sly about it. 

But now, Baby was wrapped tightly in Buddy’s arms. He’d fucked up in almost every way he could think of, Buddy was losing money by keeping Baby around. And he was still being held. It didn’t make sense. It went against everything he knew. Baby was a commodity that had lost its value. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, Baby,” Buddy whispered. “I promise.”

Darling came home after Buddy had gotten Baby to fall asleep. She slipped beneath the covers into the bed beside him. Baby was camped out on the floor, barely recognizable under all the pillows and blankets he had collected. 

“We’ve gotta talk,” she whispered to Buddy. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I don’t think Baby can stay with us anymore.” 

Darling turned on her side to look at him. With furrowed eyebrows, she glanced towards the lump of bedding on the floor. “Did he do something?” she asked, her voice hardly audible. 

“Charlie fucked with him. He thought we were just messing with his head before killing him.” Buddy was just laying on his back, hands folded on his chest. He was staring up at the ceiling, as if the roof would open up and the stars would ease his mind. “I don’t think we can keep him in an environment like this.”

“Where’s he supposed to go?” Darling asked. “How’s he going to stay ahead of Doc?”

“We can pass him to someone we trust. I’ve got friends up in Canada. Baby would like Canada.”

“Friends you trust? Like Charlie?” Darling shook her head and sat up in bed to look at Baby. He’d shifted in his sleep, now revealing a bare foot and a mop of brown hair. She worried about him overhearing them, kept her voice low. “No, absolutely not. Baby stays with us.”


End file.
